All Our Hard Work
by twilightwriter11
Summary: Bella spent most of high school making sure Edward was the guy she wanted to date, and that they wouldn't end up like her parents. But when Edward gets into an accident and get amnesia, will she be able to piece their relationship back together?
1. Preface

Disclaimer: None of it the characters belong to me. Everything is Stephanie Meyers.

All Our Hard Work

Preface

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><p>I've always had my head on straight when it came to relationships. Throughout high school, I stood on the side-lines as my high school friends Lauren and Jessica got their hearts broken from stupid guys who I never thought were worth it. I'd never had a boyfriend, and from what I've seen it didn't seem like anything worth doing.<p>

By the time I got to my junior year in high school, I figured I'd wait until college for that milestone because there was no way I was going to do the whole long-distance thing. Anytime guys asked me out and I felt tempted, I just thought of my own parents who were once high school sweethearts and are now divorced and living thousands of miles apart.

My mother, Renee, supported me 100%, still jaded by her failed relationship with my father. But, when I first walked into my honors biology class everything changed when I laid my eyes on Edward Cullen.

It started off innocent. Playful flirting, laughing, and light touches. But before I knew it, we were texting everyday. Mid-year during our junior year, our attraction to each other was undeniable. I forced a shy confession out of him one night over the phone.

"Bella…" Edward said softly, "I…" I smiled a little to myself. My heart was beating out of my chest but the obvious tremor in his voice helped me feel better about what had come out of my mouth. I had just asked Edward to tell me how he feels about me.

"Yes?" I asked. He had to like me. But what if he was just being nice? He is a gentleman after all, to _every_ girl. Not just me.

"I'm crazy about you. I like you a lot." Edward rushed out.

"As more than a friend?" I wanted to clarify before I could confess my feelings as well.

"Yes."

"Me too, Edward." I said. He inhaled a breath.

"Are you sure?" He seemed shocked.

"Of course, Edward! Why would I joke about that?"

"I…I always thought you were so out of my league." He gave a small, relieved laugh. "I've been crazy about you since I first saw you freshmen year and—"

"Wait. Freshmen year?" I asked.

"English class..." He seemed nervous again.

I was quiet as I thought about it. Suddenly, I remembered. A quiet boy with piercing green eyes and firm opinions in politics. He didn't sit near me, but I recalled a time when I sat next to Jessica during a group assignment. He sat behind me that day and we somehow had gotten into a conversation about politics. I remembered I couldn't stop looking into his eyes and I was mesmerized by him and the fact that a boy in high school could be so eloquent.

"Yes! You ranted about the war in Iraq." I told him. He let out an embarrassed groan and I couldn't help but laugh. "No, don't worry!" I assured him. "I found it charming."

"How do you find that charming?" He questioned.

"Well, I like you remember?"

I could almost hear the smile in his voice.

The next night, we went to the talent show together. Our shoulders touched the entire time and the feeling between us was paralyzing. I couldn't tell you now what kind of shows we had. But I remember the way he smelled and the butterflies in my stomach as my shoulder rested on his.

Like our attraction, my mother's fears were also undeniable. She didn't want me to dating him and even though I didn't live with her, I couldn't on good conscious date Edward knowing my mother was worrying about me. Edward was unhappy about it at first, but we decided to take the time to get to know each other. And it proved to be the smart thing.

Still, our chemistry was electric and although we kept trying to keep everything in the "just-friends" zone, we weren't perfect. Edward was a teenage boy, so of course he was pushing things physically. His looks allowed me to let him. Everyone in school by senior year was used to seeing us holding hands, and whispering sweet things to each other. Although I'm sure we disgusted them on some level, we became the "it" non-couple on the mere fact that even actual couples had not lasted as long as us.

The summer before our senior year, we expressed that we were in love with each other. He said it first and I followed about a month later. He had been good about waiting for that too, understanding that there was still a part of me that was scared and fearful of the feelings I got around him. Especially since my mother always brought me down to her cynicism when I mentioned Edward.

By the end of senior year, happy with where we were that I successfully persuaded him to wait on dating until after our freshmen year of college. Why? Well, I was persuaded by my friends and my mother.

"Bella, you can't be tied down freshmen year of college!"

"What if you meet someone else?"

"You're going to be THAT girl in college who's going to be obsessed with her high school boyfriend!"

I appeased them and made Edward wait for me. If we made it through freshmen year of college, I told myself I'd have no more doubts in our potential relationship. The summer before college, we tried to see each other while going out with our group of friends but we were each preparing for college. Edward was going to a college in Port Angeles, and I was going to a small one in Forks. We both got good scholarships and Edward would be living in a dorm while I was going to be commuting.

The day before we each left for college, we met at a private meadow Edward had found. I smiled as I saw him standing in the sun. I always loved how Edward looked in the sun. His skin and eyes shined and I could see all of his features clearly. He really was gorgeous. His smile when he saw me was contagious and I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him closer to me in a hug. He put his arms around my waist and pulled my body flush against his. I moaned softly, as I did every time he did that.

I was nervous to see him today. I hadn't told anyone that I was meeting him today but Jessica. I told my dad, Charlie, that I was meeting her today. Edward and I would spend a couple of hours completely alone at the meadow. It was as close to a date as we had ever had and we were going to do something we have wanted to do for two years now.

We were going to kiss on the lips.

He kissed my cheek.

"You look gorgeous." He said.

I smiled slyly to myself. We may have been innocent in our actions so far, but Edward and I made up for it with talking. I knew _everything_ about him. I guess that's what happens when two people who love each other have nothing to do but talk. So, knowing I was going to kiss him today I had worn a blue t-shirt. A _low-cut_ blue t-shirt. Blue was his favorite color on me and well…boys tend to enjoy a little cleavage. He ran his hands over my back and I melted into him. He's touched me almost everywhere but I still reacted strongly every time. He put his forehead against mine.

"I've waited a long time for this." He whispered. So had I. It felt natural as he softly pressed his lips against mine. We'd wanted to do this for a while now, we'd always gotten _so _close but I always resisted because of the guilt of the fact that we weren't really 'dating'. But the moment he pressed his lips against mine, all thoughts of guilt, or being 'smart' about where to go with our relationship were forgotten. My hand went in hair and I leaned up on my tip-toes to press my lips harder into his. He tightened his grip on me in response and I was lost. I had such an urge to wrap my legs around his waist, to just get…._closer._

Then he opened his mouth. I did too. We didn't introduce tongue that day, but we kissed for the whole hour we had together. Talking was the last thing on both of our minds. My mind was racing but I couldn't logically think of anything but my need to press my lips against his again. Every time I tried to explain what I was feeling, I'd glance at his lips and I'd find them attached to mine again. I didn't care though. We were leaving each other and wouldn't see each other for a while. We needed this. We had waited long enough.

We kept our hands innocent that first day but by the time I got home my lips felt bruised. My smile didn't leave me for the entire day. When I called him that night we both laughed at ourselves.

"We're probably terrible at it." I said, referring to kissing, it had been both mine and his first kiss.

"Probably." He chuckled. My heart melted at the sound of his laughter. Edward was never the type to laugh a lot. He was always the more serious one, when I did see his smile or hear him laugh…I was a goner.

"I'm not complaining. I love it." I said.

"And you know I did." He said. "Plus, practice makes perfect."

"Mmmm….don't forget about me in college, okay?" I asked.

"No way, honey."

The next day, he was off to Port Angeles studying Political Science and History on his way to becoming a lawyer and I went to school to study my favorite subject, English. I declared my major as English and minored in Creative Writing hoping to be an editor. I saw Edward about once a month. Each time, our kissing would become more intense. More sexual.

The second time we kissed, he timidly introduced his tongue and I moaned instantly at the feeling of his tongue inside my mouth. To my delight, he had the same reaction when I swirled my tongue around his. Sex was never far from our mind, and although we talked about it he wanted to wait for marriage. His morals aligned with my fears of getting intimate with him so I never argued. Plus, I was enjoying kissing too much and was perfectly fine focusing on that.

When we both finished our freshmen year of college with no doubts, no temptation to stray from each other, and a 4.0, I knew he was the one. I didn't want to wait anymore and I was ready to go out on a real date with him. He called me before he got in his car to drive back home to Forks for the summer and we basked in happiness that our plan to be careful and mature about dating was going to work. We were going to make it the through the "long-haul" as Charlie would say.

I was still smiling to myself when I got the phone call that changed my life.

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><p>AN : Constructive Criticism appreciated!


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: The more feedback I get the better I will do. So please leave reviews! They are sooo appreciated. Thank you to all of you that put this on your "alerts" as well.

So, about….50% of that was real life, I had to tweak some of it to fit the Twilight characters but the more personal things are pretty accurate. This whole chapter, was actually a dream. So, I would say this story is very loosely based off a true story. Enjoy!

All Our Hard Work ~ Chapter Two

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><p>I frown as I check my phone again. He should be texting me by now telling me that he's home. We should be planning a time to meet. This is it. We made it. Why isn't he texting me!<p>

Frustrated, I check my phone once more before slamming it down on my desk. I decide to read a book. For fun. I don't get much of that as an English major, since most of the novels I read are imposed on me. I settle with my current novel and find myself easily absorbed into the new world.

I'm interrupted with my phone ringing and I quickly notice that I've read 100 pages. Annoyance bubbles up inside me. Finally, he's calling. I check my caller ID:

**Edward Cullen 8:45pm**

Was it really that late? I wonder as I press the send button on my cell-phone to answer it.

"Edward?" Is my greeting.

"Bella." The voice is not Edward's. It's the voice of his mother, Esme. Instinctively, I become uncomfortable. Edward and his mother are very close. I've only met her a handful of times but I've always felt awkward meeting her when I was in love with her son but not dating him. No matter how many times Edward assured me she understood I never felt quite right.

My instincts quickly dissolve to panic.

"Mrs. Cullen? Is everything all right?"

"Oh, Bella." Esme sobs into the phone and my eyes quickly fill with tears. No. No. No. I can't lose him. Not now. It's too soon! I can't form any words, can't make any sounds so I'm grateful when Esme gathers herself enough to say something.

"There was an accident." She says.

"How? Where is he? Where are you?" I'm grabbing my car keys as I'm talking. My thoughts consumed with the image of him laying almost dead somewhere.

"We're at the hospital—"

"Which room?" I'm out the door and in the car now. My mind registers that Charlie isn't home. He was probably on the scene. Why didn't he call me?

"Fifth floor, room 21. Honey, you don't have to come…"

"I'll be there in 10 minutes, Mrs. Cullen. It's alright if I come, right?" Suddenly I feel awkward. Would I be intruding? But Edward…I couldn't leave him.

"Oh, yes of course. I'll see you soon." She seems sure of this. I quickly turn off my phone, put on my seat belt, and start the car.

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><p>Edward and I volunteered at this hospital. I had volunteered for three years and showed him around when I convinced him to come volunteer at the hospital with me. I've never been so thankful for my hospital pass and my knowledge of the ins and outs of the rooms until now.<p>

I flash my volunteer badge to the man in the security desk and make my way to the main elevator. I push the button the fifth level. I lean back against the elevator wall and my mind torturously replays our times in the elevator during volunteering.

_Edward pressed the button for the sixth floor and he gave me that smile. I knew what he was thinking, six whole floors to ourselves. By now, we had become pros at knowing when the elevator was about to open and we had never been caught. His eyes suddenly got intense, the smile falling of his face. His hands went to my waist as he pushed me against the elevator walls._

"_You know what these do to me." He says, as his hands roam now to my yoga pants. His fingers graze my butt and my eyes widen. "God, I want to kiss you."_

"_Mmm…me too Edward, you know that but—"_

"_But we're not dating yet. Yeah. I know. " Then, he got a certain glint in his eyes. He lowered his head and placed a chaste kiss on my neck. "How about here?" He whispered, his breathe blowing on my neck._

_And, because I'm a wimp and helpless when he turned on the charm I exposed my neck further to him, Whimpering a bit, I sighed as my skin broke out in goose-bumps. "You don't seem to mind that." He said as his lips found their way back to my neck. _

_We don't do this often. We're usually good about this. But oh my, when he puts his lips on my neck…I'm a total goner. _

_Ding!_

"_Ugh!" My sound of discontentment is almost a growl as Edwards helps pull me out of the elevator. He smirks at me as he sees my strong reaction._

"_I hate you." _

_He laughs heartedly. "I doubt that." And then his eyes have that sparkle to them again the one that means he's thinking about just how quickly he got me __**there **__and how he's going to do it again. Seeing that, I can't help but smile and relax, even while sexually frustrated._

This time when the elevator dings, I rush out running toward the direction I knew he's in. When I go into the room, my eyes quickly scan it Charlie, filing a police report probably. Esme and Carlisle, Edward's parents huddled together looking pained.

Then, my eyes fall on him. Blood. No, just scars. He'd be okay. But that machine, those tubes. Esme was talking to me. I couldn't hear her. I couldn't take my eyes off him but I heard one word. That one word that tells me all I need to know.

"Coma."


End file.
